In late-February 2026, we bid farewell to Elizabeth Vernon (E.V.) Bell, Education and Outreach Program manager. Bell retired after 20 years of state service, two with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources and 18 with the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium.

During her time at the Consortium—in partnership with many collaborators—Bell developed and implemented innovative, science-based education efforts, including the From Seeds to Shoreline® salt marsh restoration program, curricula and lesson plans, the Palmetto Environmental Education Certification (PEEC) program, Science Cafés, and a book club.

Bell won numerous awards for her leadership and programmatic accomplishments, including the 2023 S.C. Environmental Awareness Award, as well as the 2022 President’s Award and 2017 Marine Educator of the Year Award from the S.C. Marine Educators Association. She was a long-time member of the S.C. Marine Educators Association, the National Marine Educators Association, and a board member of the PEEC program. Her passion for K-12 education was evident in her daily work and high praise from educators and colleagues. The Consortium thanks E.V. Bell for her many years of service, and wishes her all the very best during the next chapter. Fair winds and following seas, E.V.!

Morgan Treon, formerly the Consortium’s Marine Education specialist, takes on a new leadership role as Education and Outreach Program manager. Treon has worked alongside E.V. Bell since August 2022, and she previously was the Lead Education aide for the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission.

Treon will continue to foster connections to the environment through teacher-training workshops and programs. She also assists with preparing, delivering, and evaluating marine science-related programs and community-science education efforts throughout the state.

Treon is past-president of the S.C. Marine Educators Association and chair of the association’s 2026 conference planning committee, as well as a member of the National Marine Educators Association. She also is a member of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and an active member of the AGU Education Section’s executive committee. In addition, Treon is a member of the (S.C.) Coastal Master Naturalists Association. She earned a B.A. in earth science and a M.A.T. in secondary science education, both from James Madison University.